Stada Group partner with Wakefield Council on £3.5m Pontefract Castle revamp project

Stada Group has won a major contract to partner with Wakefield Council on its Pontefract Castle £3.5m conservation project.

This deal, which will see the Stada Group deliver a multimedia showcase for the site, is the first of many local partnerships that the organisation wants to secure.

The Wakefield-based company will use local talent to help the council boost the popularity of one of its most important historic landmarks.

During 2016, Wakefield Council will build a brand-new visitors’ centre, providing more facilities and space for workshops and activities in the castle grounds. These grounds already host a number of events throughout the year, and numbers of attendees are expected to rise with this new rejuvenation.

The role given to Stada Group involves over a year of shooting video. It will be producing a full 30-minute documentary on the project, plus other shorter videos talking about the history of the castle, restoration efforts, the events that take place around the site, as well as educational materials.

Furthermore, the group will also create a full 3D model of the castle in all its forms throughout the centuries, showing the difference between the castle remains as they appear now and the sheer vastness of Pontefract Castle in the 17th century, before the English Civil War saw it completely destroyed.

Hatty Settle, production co-ordinator at Stada Video, said: “We’re excited and honoured to be documenting such an integral part of local history. Pontefract Castle is truly a landmark of our region, and being there for every step of the development is as exciting as it is educational.

“Working so closely with Wakefield Council means we get a first-hand look at the amount of effort and care that goes into a project of this size. It’s fantastic to see the progress and we can’t wait to share it with eager history and culture-seekers in 2017.

“To us, it’s not just a case of helping the local authority – it’s an opportunity for us to prove just how great our region is, whether it’s the landmarks that define it or the people that can show just how creative, vibrant and brilliant the area is.”